When Roman Gave Up
by tooglamtoogiveadamn
Summary: Roman tried so hard to stay away from Emery, to keep her safe. But he couldn't. It was an impossible feat. How did he give up? Well, it all started when Sophia wanted to be on the school swim team. One-Shot.


**One-Shot. Just an idea I had watching he commercial for the next episode. Read and Review:)**

Life had not always been this rough. When my dad was still alive I remember a sense of security, I had never realized the magnitude of problems growing in this confinement city of ours. The Atrians were just like humans, why could not people see this? Why couldn't they accept us, and why couldn't other Atrians accept them? Because of this, Emery and I…had drifted. No not drifted, I had pushed her away with the force of a battering ram. But what choice did I have? They would kill her should I get too close. Try as hard as I could, it was no use. Like the three suns on my planet we were drawn to each other, whether by fate or gravity we may never know. I had told myself I could never be with her though, for her own safety. Promised myself I would never touch Emery Whitehill.

There was a single moment in time though that I gave up. If I couldn't stay away and protect Emery, I would be near and protect her. But what changed? What made me recall my former promises and let the chips fall where they may? It all started when my sister, Sophia, wanted to try out for the school swim team…

* * *

We got off the bus, onto the landing dock in complete silence. Strange? Not anymore. The townspeople had gone from outright rage to cold indifference when they realized their protesting had done nothing to deter the United States Government. The high school children were another matter entirely. Most of them still outright hated us. This fact was proven by the fight that was about to be broken out in front of my eyes.

I had walked into school and was going in my locker when I overheard a conversation.

"…would like to join the team." I heard my sister tell the swim coach. I watched as the coaches face morphed from one of indifference to one of confusion.

One of the swimmers marched in front of the coach and said, "Absolutely not. I refuse to get in the water with this…thing." My heart broke as I watched my sisters hopeful expression fall, and angered bubbled into my chest. I wasn't the only one this pissed off though. Someone else was bothered by that last comment too. It was the bane of my existence, yet the reason for me being alive. The person I wanted most to talk to, yet the one I could never hold a conversation for fear of her life. Emery had arrived. And she was not pleased.

"What do you mean she cannot try out?!" she got up into the coaches face and I almost smiled at the aggressive tone in her voice. Like a kitten who thinks they are a tiger. "She has every right to do what she wants, and who are you to take her happiness. In fact, I would be honored if she tried out for the swim team…with me."

This was an interesting turn of events. Emery on the swim team...in a bathing suit. Unwillingly my subconscious created a mental image. Emery; in a tight red swimsuit, leaving nothing to my imagination. Her long brown hair falling down her back in waves as water droplets cascaded down her alabaster skin. The way her tan legs would look, exposed like that…

And then in my fantasy Grayson came into mind. He walked towards Emery and her face lit up, like she was excited to see that infernal human. In a fluid motion, he swept her up, oblivious of the water on her, and kissed her full on the lips. Emery leaned in, and wrapped her arms around his neck, and arching her own to reach his lips better.

It was the most disturbing image and made me…angry? Not quite the right term, yet definitely applicable. I wanted to rip that child's head off, and feed it to the sharks. It wasn't until much later I realized I was jealous, an emotion foreign to me up until that moment.

This inner turmoil in my subconscious lasted two seconds, and the coach was mid speech.

"Well, I guess there is no reason for her to be excluded as an individual because of her…race." The coach looked at Emery once more. "I will see you both after school today." With that he turned on his heel, stomping down the school hallway, his swimmers following him after a sneer directed towards Emery.

I swear she was a magnet for danger. Perhaps danger was too specific. Emery Whitehill was a magnet for _trouble_. Not only was she in danger from an alien race, but her own species was out to get her. The feeling to protect Emery welled deep in my chest. I would keep this human safe. And if it meant not talking to her, then so be it. But I wouldn't take my eyes off of her. Not for one second. I was going to break all the rules now.

A little voice in my head whispered to me. _You know what this means, don't you Roman? _It said_. It means you get to go to a swimming tryout today. _I gulped.

With one last look at Emery, who was in the middle of calling her parents, to tell them she needed them to bring her swimsuit most likely, I turned and strode down the hallway to my next class.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by, though if it was for fear of the unknown or anticipation for tryouts I didn't know. I didn't make contact with Emery again that day, though I kept close tabs on her, making sure she got to every class and came out of them. Finally the infamous bell rang for the last time that day, and after confirming with my friends I was staying to watch my sister, I went to the pool bleachers.

The pool room was very spacious, with an Olympic sized pool and diving boards on either end. There were lane separators in the pool, so swimmers didn't hit each other racing I assumed. I sat at the very top bleacher in the center, a bird's eye view. Not that I suspected trouble, but I would never be too cautious on Earth.

I hadn't been waiting for long; maybe 10 minutes when the coaches came out. 3 of them in all. I studied each closely, looking for any birth marks that would mark them as Atrians. None of them had any as far as I could tell, though their backs were to me. Then one of them, a tall guy with brown hair turned around and my heart dropped into my chest. My soul lay ruined in shreds in my body.

It was Grayson.

The tendons in my hands stretched tightly over my skin as I realized the implications of this. Grayson got to see Emery. Every. Day. In a swimming suit. That new feeling in my chest rose again; jealousy was it?, and I had to physically restrain myself to keep from going over there and kicking his ass into the pool.

After that the seconds crawled by. Finally, whether it be a blessing or a curse, the girls locker room door opened, and out walked the female swimmers. They were decked out in swimsuits and goggles, but I paid them no attention. Somewhere in my peripheral vision I found my sister, but all my attention was focused on the locker room door, waiting for Emery to walk out. Ten more girls filed out and then that was it. Not another soul passed through the doors.

Confusion set in before I started to panic; had I missed her? My eyes roamed the small crowd of people in the humid room fruitlessly. Where had she gone?! I was now at a fork in the roads. Did I go look for Emery, or stay and make sure my sister was safe? Should I go frantically go searching for a girl I hardly knew or stay and protect my own flesh blood? _Tick tock. Tick tock. _My mind thought. Time was running out.

Emery or Sophia?

Emery or Sophia?

My legs lifted of their own accord and I was flying off the bleachers before my mind could catch up. Feet hit the moist floor, they were mine I realized, and I ran full sprint at the girls locker room door. Had it always been this far away? The distance seemed to multiply by a thousand until finally, _finally,_ I made.

Yanking open the door I ran in, keeping close to the wall in case any other girls were changing. The girls' locker room was set up in a maze it seemed, with lines of lockers. I heard movement off to my left and cautiously turned around the corner. What I saw made the tightness it my chest decimate.

Emery was untying her shoes, her clothes still on. She hadn't been abducted, or murdered. She was ok. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and she spun around. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me: maybe it was because I was in the girls locker room, or my disheveled appearance. It may have been a combination of the two.

"Roman." She said in surprise. "What are you doing in here?" I couldn't speak. Relief coursed through every part of my body, from my head to each of my toes. I couldn't help it; I ran up and hugged her. Hugged her so tight, crushing her body into mine.

"Why weren't you with the others?" I whispered. Was she talking to a teacher, or got on the bus on accident? What had caused her to nearly give all three of my hearts heart attacks?

"I…I was just talking to the hospital organization. Telling them the days I wouldn't be able to attend because of swim. Roman, what's this about? Why are you so worried?" she pulled out of my grasp, I noticed dejectedly, and looked into my eyes. Hers were full of confusion, innocence, and something else I couldn't place.

"Emery, you scared my half to death." I whispered. Did she not see how desperately infatuated I was with her? How captured I was by her presence? Damn right I was worried when I didn't know her location. "You have to promise me to never do that again Emery. Promise me you will never go out of my sight again." Her eyes softened and the confused element in them melted off.

Timidly, she reached up and placed her right hand on the side of my face, cupping my cheek in her palm. My senses heightened and went into overdrive, my face burning where her skin touched mine. "You don't need to worry about me so much. I'm not that breakable."

Is that why she thought I was doing this? Because she thought I thought she was weak? She was crazy. It was irrational to even think that would be the reason for my protective behavior.

"You know nothing Emery. Shall I attempt to explain why I do what I do for you?" Instead of providing a real answer, I slowly backed her against the wall. With her hand still on my cheek, I brought my arms up on either side of her head. Her eyes had dilated and I heard her breath coming out in shallow puffs. Not stopping, I leaned closer, and closer still, until there was less than a millimeter between our lips.

"Emery, I think I love you." Right as I said that I crashed my lips upon hers, sandwiching her between the wall and I. Overjoyed, I felt her hands move up around my neck, pulling me impossibly closer.

This feeling, this passion, was indescribable. Her hands moved into my hair and I groaned, moving my lips from hers, down her jaw and the base of her necks. While leaving butterfly kisses along her collarbone, I heard her moan and say,

"I think we should..go..we wouldn't want anyone to find us in here." She was right of course, yet I couldn't seem to be able to stop. I removed my lips from her, but let my nose skim the hollow of her throat, her cheek, her forehead.

"Romannnnn." She whispered. The tone of her voice giving me goosebumps.

"If you keep saying my name like that." I vowed into her hair. "I'm going to do the opposite of stop." I let go of her however, opting to grab her hand. Serious time.

"Emery," I said, "I'm tired of staying away from you. I don't think…I don't know if I can stay away from you anymore. I tried my hardest, I thought if I stayed away you wouldn't be at risk, you wouldn't be targeted. It seems you're number is up no matter where I am though." She looked up at me with the most trusting eyes in that moment though, and all the worries in the world seemed to fade away.

She whispered four little words that then forever changed my life. "Then don't stay away." My heart swelled, my brain clouded with love and strength.

"That seems reasonable." I agreed, and we walked out of the locker room, hand in hand.

* * *

I had broken promises made to myself. They laid in ruin at my feet, in shreds. Yet I couldn't find it in me to regret my decisions. For these decisions brought me Emery, and that was all that mattered. I would defend her, I would be strong enough. Maybe not strong enough to stay away, but resilient enough to protect her. I would guard Emery Whitehill, the love of my life.


End file.
